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New-England's MISERY, The procuring CAUSE, And A REMEDY proposed.
COMPOSED October, 1758.
BOSTON: Printed and Sold by Z. Fowle and S. Draper, opposite the Lion & Bell, in Marlborough-Street
M,DCC,LVIII. 1758.
[Price Half-Piastereen.]
[Page 3]
New-England's MISERY.
—Now impious Arms from ev'ry Part resound.—
The crooked Scythes are straightened into Swords:
The Plain no Pasture to the Flock affords.—
Perfidious Mars, long plighted Leagues divides,
And o'er the wasted World in Triumph rides.—
—The holy Pow'r that cloaths the senseless Earth
With Woods, with Fruits, with Flow'rs, and verdant Grass,
Whose bounteous Hands feeds the whole Brute-Creation,
Knows all our Wants, and has enough to give us.—
BEHOLD, and see how deeply we
do feel divine Displeasure;
Our Land before has never bore
of Wrath so great a Measure:
Distress and War, both near and far,
Home, and Abroad Vexation;
Our Enemies, against us rise
for to cut off our Nation.
Our frontier Towns, the Land around,
are miserably wasted;
[Page 4] Of Cruelty, large Measure we
most certainly have tasted.
The French combine, the Indians join
their antichristian Powers,
For to destroy both low and high
from off this Land of our's.
Alas! from Peace we now must cease,
to go where Cannon rattle;
Our Ploughs forsake, and Weapons take,
from Husbandry to Battle:—
Our tender Wives commit our Lives
unto divine Protection,
Not thinking we'll each other see
until the Resurrection;
Parting with Sighs, and wat'ry Eyes,
our Leaders we must follow
Unto the Field, our Swords to wield,
and in our Blood to wallow:
We meet our Foes, and them oppose
with Drums and Cannon sounding;—
Hark! hear our Voice, confused Noise
from Hill to Hill rebounding:
The Field all o'er with purple Gore
is stain'd, while Men lay dying;
Some with a Groan their Case bemoan,
others for Mercy crying;
With aking Hearts, each one exerts
the utmost of his Power,
[Page 5] Still lohging the Event to see,
each Minute seems an Hour:—
Some Battles they † have won the Day,
and Forts, and Men destroyed;
Sometimes again, our Countrymen
has them as much annoyed.
The Mob † of Hell, whose savage Yell,
with Visage grim and painted;—
Would surely make a Heart to quake,
that's with them unacquainted;
Whilst wer'e at Work, these lay and lurk
about our Fields and Pastures,
Then suddenly upon us fly,
and so of us get Masters:
When any Man falls in their Hands,
they're Cruel and Insulting;
But most acute, these human Brutes,
at Killing are, and Scalping:—
Likewise again, our Land within,
we greatly are distressed;
Our Taxes lie both hard and high,
wherewith we are oppressed;
Yielding Supports for building Forts,
and for maintaining Soldiers;
It makes us Cry, where this doth lie,
and gaul our peeled Shoulders.
Our Fishing-Trade is much decay'd:
likewise our foreign Traders
[Page 6] Much Misery do suffer by
our insolent Invaders:
Whole Houses stroy'd, and render'd void,
hath been the Destination
Of many a one, who out upon
our Frontiers had his Station:
These Judgments we both feel, and see,
and with them are perplexed,
And many more I might tell o'er,
wherewith our Land is vexed;
But every Man's Experience
may be his own Informer;
(In every Town the Country round.—
I dwell but in a Corner.—)
But whence came these our Miseries?
from Casualty or Fortune,
Or be the Fates with our Estates
and Lives, themselves a sporting?
Such Seasons we did never see
in any Generation
This Land within, since it has been
possessed by our Nation:
Each sober one, who thinks thereon,
will sure make this Reflection,
This is the Rod and Hand of God,
and this is His Correction.
[Page 7]
The procuring CAUSE.
THEN let us try if we can spy
wherein we have offended
Our angry God, for which his Rod
unto us is extended;
Our Land has been a Place wherein
the Lord hath shewed Favour;
Where Gospel-Light hath shined bright,
with sweet, and heav'nly Savour:
But now, alas! sad, awful Case!
how many of our Nation
Slight, and abuse the blessed News,
and Tidings of Salvation!
Our Love grows cold, in Sin we're bold,
Iniquity abounding,
Spreads o'er the Land, I understand,
like to a Deluge drowning!
Our Ministers, like pilot Stars,
should guide in this Declention;—
But, ah! how rare they answer their
original Intention!
How very few, when first they do
accept of the Vocation,
[Page 8] Sincerely aim to praise God's Name,
and to promote Salvation!
How very few among them shew
from Jesus Christ a Warrant;
Whose Holy walk, and Heav'nly talk
promote the Gospel errand!
How very are they every where,
through this Part of our Nation,
Are apt to teach, and likewise preach,
with Pow'r and Demonstration;
Causing, that few we see into
God's Family adopted;
Which demonstrates how much he hates
a Minist'ry corrupted:—
And, our Trustees of all Degrees,
who are with Pow'r invested
To watch the Ground, God's Vineyard round,
and see it not molested;
Who ought in Case of Fatherless
and Widows to be Pleaders,
And in Christ's Cause, and for his Laws,
should be the foremost Leaders;
Alas! must I against them cry?
for Reverence such I owe them,
If conscience could, I freely would
in my Complaint forgo them:
Pride, carnal Ease, the Flesh to please,
Injustice, and Oppression,
[Page 9] They awfully are tainted by,
must be my sad Confession:
Good Joshua his Path this Day
how much by them despised;
With Family Pray'r, how very rare
will they be stigmatized;
How often, when they get poor Men
unto a lawless Border,
We hear a cry of Treachery,
Oppression, and Disorder:
And they likewise, who in their Lives
exalt free Grace's Donor,
How seldom they promoted be
to any Post of Honour:—
And likewise in our common Men,
in this New-English Nation,
All Wickedness increased is
in Life, and Conversation;
Many a Heart from God doth part,
to worship earthly Treasure;
Whose Tongues prophane abuse his Name;
and take therein great Pleasure:—
Unchristian walk, vile filthy Talk
is every where abounding;
Impertinence, and vile Nonsense,
the Soul and Conscience wounding;
God's holy Day, we waste away
in trifling, or in sleeping,
[Page 10] Or else contriving how to thrive
in earthly Profit reaping:—
Our Frontier-Parts, and outer Skirts,
can seldom hear a Sermon;
Yet ah! how few among them do
thirst for the Dew of Hermon!—
How many slight true Gospel Light,
and love Arminian-Preaching;—
But, can't endure the plain and pure,
true, faithful, Gospel-Teaching.
Many a Fool doth ridicule
strict, serious Deportment,
Making a scoff and laugh thereof,
as if no ways Important:
Alas! how rare is Family-Pray'r
in our New-English Nation;
But, we may see Wine, Rum and Tea,
excessively ‡ in Fashion;—
These Sins, and more I might tell o'er,
are spread our Country over;
But draw the Veil I rather will,
and no more Shame discover.
[Page 11]
A REMEDY proposed.
NOW therefore then, dear Countrymen,
since this is our Condition,
We surely owe for to lay low
in penitent Contrition:
O let's awake, our all's at Stake,
let's up and be a doing,
And let us strive to mend our Lives
before we come to Ruin:
O Ministers, dear Reverend Sirs,
with preaching Pow'r entrusted,
Pray lend an Ear, and what you hear
be not therewith disgusted;
O be intense, with Diligence
to get from Christ a Warrant,
That ev'ry where it may appear
He send you on this Errand;
Let each one see, of Sin he be
a faithful, sound Rebuker,
[Page 12] Whose preaching Aim is Souls to gain,
and not for filthy Lucre:
O Rulers, ye of each Degree,
I solemnly address you,
Hear my Advice, I wish You Peace
and pray the Lord to bless You;
O lay aside Excess, and Pride,
Your latter End consider,
Judge righteously, and hear the Cry
of Fatherless, and Widow;
And see that Ye Examples be
to every lower Station,
That Family Pray'r, put in Repair
may be, throughout the Nation;
And likewise when you do a Man
entrust with a Commission,
Pray let it be one whom you see
to be a sober Christian:—
And likewise all, both great and small,
who guilty are of Evil,
Let's Mourn to see how greatly we
have gratify'd the Devil;
Let's lay to Heart our better Part,
our latter End remember,
For fear that we should cursed be
with the condemned Number;
Let us embrace the Terms of Grace,
and be to Christ united,
[Page 13] And then may we expect that He
in us will be delighted;—
Let Men renounce the Tipling-House;
let Frolicking be loathed,
Women lay aside the Fruits of Pride,
and decently be cloathed;
Let us prize much, and rev'rence such
as are invested duly
With Pow'r of Law, to keep in Awe
the wicked, and unruly:—
Let's honour those, we may suppose
to be our Benefactors,
And thankful be we any see
that for our Good are Actors: †—
Let's love, and prize, all good and wise
Ambassadors of Jesus,
Who set his Grace before our Face;
O may his Gospel please us;—
Let's thankful be we any see
in this degen'rate Season,
Whose Mission shew from Christ they do
demonstrative to Reason;
And let each one, who dwelleth on
our Country's outmost Border,
[Page 14] Who can't enjoy a Ministry,
nor ecclesiastic Order,
Let them desire the Milk sincere,
and do their best Endeavour
Each Sabbath-Day, to Sing, and Pray,
and read God's Word together;—
You Heads likewise of Families,
give to your Children Learning,
And don't delay with them to Pray
both Evening and Morning;
Let every one, both Old and Young,
endu'd with Understanding,
Each Night and Day in secret Pray;
this God is now commanding:
Let us refrain from Speech profane,
and shun all filthy Talking,
And answer thus God's Call to us
by an Obedient walking;
Let every one do this, upon
the Strength of Christ depending,
The Means of Grace in ev'ry Place
diligently attending:—
Then may our God draw back his Rod,
then may his Wrath appeased
Towards us be, and thus may He
thro' Christ his Son be pleased;—
[Page 15] But if we chuse for to abuse,
and slight this Counsel given,
We justly may expect to be
destroy'd from under Heaven.
FINIS.
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BOOKS
Sold by Z. Fowle and S. Draper, at their Printing-Office and Shop, opposite the Lion & Bell; in Marlborough-Street.
THE Present State of North-America. Earle on the Sacrament.
Parsons's Seven Discourses.
Surprizing Adventures of Mise Jenny Cameron.
Pomfret's Poem's.
Jones's Visitation-Sermon.
A Serious Address to the Clergy.
Whitefield's Account of Lent;—And,
His Address to Persons of all Denominations.
The History of the Holy Jesus.
A Letter to a Gentleman on the Sin and Danger of playing at Cards.
A Poem on the Conflagration.
The Art of Money-Catching.
Purgatory proved, illustrated and set forth; being a burlesque upon the Roman-Catholicks.
The true AEgyptian Fortune-Teller.
A Collection of chaste and significant Riddles.—A Poem on the surrender of Louisbourg.—Spelling-Books,—Psalters,—Primers,—small Histories,—Pamphlet's,—Writing-Paper,—true and genuine AMES's ALMANACKS for the Year 1759,—&c.—&c.—&c.